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Big Kat working in the shadows

AUBURN | Auburn’s defensive line is anchored by two seniors and a junior, all projected as high draft picks next spring.

Derrick Brown, Marlon Davidson and Nick Coe will garner most of the headlines this fall — Brown and Davidson will represent the Tigers at SEC Media Days Thursday — but AU has plenty of other talented defensive linemen behind them including Big Kat Bryant.

The junior is scheduled to serve as a backup at both defensive end and Buck this fall.

“If they had left, it would have been like, 'Oh, I've gotta become one of those leaders,'” Bryant said. “It's good for them to come back. There's still many more things for me to learn. And if I have any questions, I go to Marlon and Derrick, and they tell me anything I want to know. So that's been a real big thing for me.”

Bryant puts a big hit on the Arkansas quarterback last fall.
Bryant puts a big hit on the Arkansas quarterback last fall. (Todd Van Emst/AuburnSports.com)

When it comes to learning and improving, Bryant has concentrated on two main areas as he prepares for the 2019 season. He’s got a great teacher in veteran defensive line coach Rodney Garner.

“My get-off and my hand placement,” he said. “I play hard, that’s always gong to be me, but those two things in particular. (Garner) always bring up guys like Dee Ford and guys he coaches because of the little things they did. I try to limit my mistakes and I see my game as their’s one day potentially.

“He’s a great coach, great mentor. Everything he tells me, I soak it up. I’m like a sponge when it comes to learning so I try to learn it all.”

It didn’t take long for Bryant to earn Garner’s trust. He played as a true freshman at 225 pounds, not an easy task in the SEC trenches.

“I was always competitive, always been that dog,” Bryant said. “I don't like to lose. If you're bigger than me, you better show me you're bigger than me. This is how I carry myself, this is how I always carry myself -- working hard.”

Bryant will enter this fall at more than 255 pounds and with two years of playing experience under his belt. But he’s still trying to compete everyday just like he did as a first-year player in 2017.

“I love to win, I love -- I don't like to lose,” he said. “Reps, individually, anything -- I don't like to lose. I just really want to take that step. Like in high school, I was that big recruited guy. I want to be the big fish. That's the way I carry myself everyday and I just kind of work on my game everyday, on and off the field, just trying to continue to be great. Because I know the game so much better than I did my first two years, I'm ready to take that next step ahead.”

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